


In Absentia

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Community: fma_fic_contest, Death, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 03:31:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1925136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: It's hard cleaning the house.<br/>Disclaimer: Arakawa and I are like sisters! ...except, not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Absentia

Cleaning out the old house was something none of them really wanted to do. There were too many memories wrapped in the walls, floors, and panels. _There_ were the pencil marks on the door frame, where they’d marked their heights as they grew. _That_ was the corner where Den always slept. Granny’s pipe still sat in the bowl of the ashtray, the dottle tamped down in it, ready for lighting. 

Alphonse found the box, tucked away under Pinako’s bed. Opening the lid, he let out a low whistle. “Guys? You’re gonna want to see this,” he called, carrying the box out to the kitchen table. 

Winry, her eyes red, walked in, a handkerchief in hand, Edward following close behind. “What’s that?” Edward asked, peering into the box. “Hey. That’s.” He pulled out his old red coat, holding it up. “Wow. This brings back memories.” 

“There’s other stuff, too,” Alphonse said, pulling out a black book and handing it to Winry. She raised her eyebrows, curious, and flipped open the cover. Alphonse took another book out, passing the box over to his brother. Edward grunted, hanging the coat up on the back of a chair. He sat down and rummaged in the box. 

“These are newspaper articles,” Winry said, paging through her book. She glanced up, her brow furrowed. “They’re about you guys.” 

“Really?” Edward stood up to see the pages. “Hey! That’s from the Central _Times_ , from when I repaired all the damage Scar did. How’d the old hag get it?” 

“There are pictures in this one,” Alphonse said. He turned the book around so they could see it. The first photographs were of Dad and Mom, and some of Granny, but there were others, of Auntie Sara and Uncle Urey and Winry, and one of Winry, Edward, and him in a metal washtub, soap suds everywhere. 

Edward snorted. “Geeze, that’s awful.” 

“I think it’s cute,” Winry protested. “Look, there’s Den as a puppy!” 

Alphonse passed the photo album over to Winry, watching as she cradled it in her arms. He wondered if Pinako had left the box under the bed for them to find, to show her pride in them all. To keep them from being too sad at her death. 

He wouldn’t put it past her. The Panthress of Risembool was a crafty old woman, after all. 


End file.
